Asbestos Exposure

Under the original Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was given the power to regulate new chemicals coming onto the market in the US. A 2016 amendment to the TSCA requires the EPA to examine the hazards presented by chemicals that are already on the market. The first list of the chemicals to be reviewed includes asbestos. This gives the agency another chance to protect Americans from the dangers of asbestos toxicity. A Brief History of Asbestos Asbestos is a family of six silicate minerals that have long, thin, strong fibers. The chrysotile type … [Read more...]

When you are given a mesothelioma diagnosis, there is one thing you know for sure: at some point in your life, you were a victim of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is caused by inhaling the tiny shards of asbestos that become airborne when this dangerous mineral is handled. Before the 1970s, many US corporations used asbestos without taking precautions to avoid dangerous asbestos exposure. This negligent disregard for human health and safety led to a growing number of lawsuits. Today, legal action is one of the best ways for mesothelioma patients to get compensation for the harm done to … [Read more...]

If you think that asbestos exposure is something that only happened to people in the past, think again. While many mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos working in boiler rooms or on factory lines with components that contained asbestos, work is not the only place where asbestos exposure happens. Some women who never did factory work have developed mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. They came into contact with the toxic fiber through dust carried home on a husband’s work clothes. That kind of secondary exposure risk is still all around us, because asbestos … [Read more...]

It’s cheap, available in enormous quantities in the ground and it’s fireproof. Items made with it won’t burn. What’s not to like? For thousands of years, that was the official attitude towards asbestos in many countries throughout the world. Although it always seemed apparent that asbestos disease went hand-in-hand with asbestos mining and asbestos use, many people did not make the connection. Or they preferred not to make the connection between asbestos and disease until relatively recently. It was just too useful to let an inconvenience such as the illness and death of one’s slaves, … [Read more...]

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control brought some bad news: the mesothelioma death rate in the United States continues to rise. Although the danger posed by asbestos fibers has been well known for a hundred years, needless death from asbestos exposure had not gone down, as expected. The study looked at the mesothelioma death rate in the United States between 1999 and 2015. The number of deaths has risen and fallen over that time period, but it has consistently been above the 1999 figure of 2,479 deaths. The mesothelioma death rate peaked in 2012 at 2,873. It has … [Read more...]

After battling with flu like symptoms, shortness of breath, and fatigue you decide to consult a doctor who quickly sends you to see a specialist. After your consultation, examination, and testing you receive the dreaded news: a mesothelioma diagnosis. But how did this happen? Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma but you may or may not remember, or even know, how you were exposed to the deadly mineral asbestos. You will need time to emotionally process what has happened to you, time to speak with your family, and time to begin to think clearly what course of action you wish to pursue. If you … [Read more...]

Asbestos exposure without your permission or knowledge is not acceptable at any time but particularly not at work.  We all work because as responsible adults we need to make a living. Many of us also come to work every day because we love what we do, we have developed a camaraderie with our co-workers and a level of expertise in our field.  That work ethic and dedication should not be exploited by exposing you to lethal asbestos.  But sadly asbestos exposure on the job is still much too common. Here we are going to take a look at occupational asbestos exposure and what you can do about … [Read more...]

Asbestos lung cancer, like mesothelioma, is something you don’t expect when you are hired for a job. And why would you? This is the 21st century, not the old days when workers in occupations like mining regularly got “black lung” disease and no one thought it was unusual or even wrong. Today we take for granted that there are laws that protect us. We go to work in good faith that we will be protected from being exposed on the job to safety hazards that cause us injury, illness or even death. And this is correct. There are laws to protect you on the job. But asbestos lung cancer is sneaky. … [Read more...]

The links between different types of cancer and environmental factors that cause cancer can be hard to pin down. Mesothelioma is a rare exception. The cause of mesothelioma, a rare and serious cancer of the linings around the internal organs, is asbestos. The link between asbestos and pleural mesothelioma, which affect the lining around the lungs, is especially strong. This is because the most common cause of mesothelioma is breathing air contaminated with asbestos fibers which enter the lungs. Asbestos is the Cause of Mesothelioma Asbestos is a group of naturally-occurring minerals that can … [Read more...]

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer that attacks the thin lining of cells inside your chest and abdomen, and in the spaces around your heart. This layer of mesothelial cells, known as “mesothelium,” also surrounds the majority of your internal organs. The mesothelium protects you internally by creating a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move against each other. For example, this fluid makes it easier for your lungs to expand and contract inside the chest when you breathe. Malignant mesothelioma tumors are most often found in the outer lining of the lungs … [Read more...]